The Curse of the Silver Dragon
by LinkinParkIsMyMuse
Summary: Mina Sinkya is the best assassin Chronos has had since the Black Cat left, despite her dark past. Naturally, she's given the most important mission of her life: find Train Heartnet. Will Mina succeed, or will our favorite stray cat tame the Silver Dragon? ON HIATUS.
1. This Tattoo Really Stings

**Hi! My name's Cat, and this is my first Black Cat fanfic! If my name sounds familiar, you may have seen my other fic, an Ao No Exorcist story called 'Satan's Stepdaughter'. Anyway, I've been working on this one for a while, so I hope you enjoy it!**

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><p><span>Chapter 1: This Tattoo Really Stings<span>

"Excellent work, Mina Sinkya."

Sephiria looks at me with pride, and I smile.

"All thanks to your training, Sephiria-san," I say, bowing to her.

I've just finished a number of tests that will determine whether or not I will join the ranks of Chronos as a Number, and I'm pretty sure I passed every one.

Sephiria and I return to her office, and once we're inside with the door safely shut, Sephiria embraces me.

"I'm so proud of you, Mina," she says, smiling brightly. "I know I shouldn't tell you this, but you will receive your tattoo tomorrow afternoon, and I will present your orichalcum weapon to you that evening. The Elders decided this before you even passed the tests."

I grin at her.

"Really, Sephi-chan?" I ask in amazement.

All these years, she's been a big sister to me. She's been my mentor, my only friend, and now she'll be my comrade.

"Really, Mi-chan," she replies, and hugs me again.

_Next day - Evening_

The new tattoo on my chest stings as I kneel before Sephiria, my head bowed.

"Mina Sinkya, you have been chosen as Agent III in the Chrono Numbers. Now, rise and take your orichalcum sword, Ares," she says.

I stand, and she presents a box way too small to contain a _sword._ Sephiria opens the box, and nestled within its velvet folds is a sword grip, or so it appears. I take it, trying to mask my confusion with curiosity and amazement. It fits perfectly into my hand, my thumb coming to rest on a little knob engraved with the Roman numeral III.

Sephiria watches me, a smile in her eyes.

"Press it," she says quietly, so no one will hear her but me.

I'm not quite sure what will happen if I do, but I listen to her anyway. What happens next is so fast, my eyes don't even _see _it. All I know is that half a second later, I'm holding a sword at least three and a half feet long. I blink in surprise, then press the button again, and it's a sword grip once more.

"Thank you, Sephiria-san," I say, kneeling once again.

_-Six Years Later-_

"Agent III, Mina Sinkya, Silver Dragon. You have proven yourself countless times over the years. You have succeeded where even other Numbers have failed, and so we present you with your next mission. Find Train Heartnet, and kill him or bring information on him back to us. Whether or not you kill him is entirely up to you and the situation. Sephiria will provide you with the details," instructs the Elder.

Willzark, Number Zero himself, has assigned me to this mission. That's rare.

The comm screen blacks out, and I hear Sephiria come up behind me.

"You will need your wits about you on this one, Mina."

I turn to face her, and her composure slips for a second. She doesn't want me to do it.

Her facade falls back into place. "Heartnet is a wily and resourceful one, and as you know, a former Number turned Sweeper, so he'll prove difficult to find. Luckily," she says, straightening the lapels of my long black coat, "you will be a lure. We've had signs posted near Heartnet's last known location, and we're 'offering' a large bounty to anyone who catches you. I trust you'll be able to hold off any other Sweeper?"

I nod solemnly.

"I already have a plan. Go to his last known location, make sure I'm underestimated, and proceed as I feel is necessary."

Sephiria nods her approval.

"You are to leave tomorrow morning."

_-SilverDragon-_

The next morning, I abandon my Chronos uniform for the first time in... well, a long time, let's say, and we'll leave it at that.

Now I'm wearing skin-tight black pants, a black vest over a red tank top, and knee-high black leather boots. My long brown hair is pulled back into a ponytail, and my eyes, normally blue with silver flecks, are more silver than blue today.

Before I head out my front door, I slip on my black coat, smiling as I am reminded of who I am.

Chrono Number III, the infamous and legendary Silver Dragon. I lock up my apartment, and as I head out onto the street, I slip Ares into a specially-made sheath strapped to my right thigh.

Looking up ahead, I see Number II, Belze in the crowd, walking towards me. As we pass each other, he slips a red envelope containing Heartnet's details into my hand, saying, "Good luck, Silver Dragon."

It's a perfect pass-off. Smiling, I slip the envelope into my pocket.

Get ready, Black Cat. The Silver Dragon is after her prey.

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><p><strong>So, there it is! I never have too much time on my hands, so that's why this is so short. R&amp;R, please! Constructive criticism is appreciated!<strong>

**Until next time!**


	2. Silver Dragon On The Hunt

I'm glad this story is being enjoyed and well accepted! And just to let you know, Mina is NOT a Mary Sue! Her, um, rather dark and twisted past will be revealed soon...

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><p><span>Chapter 2: Silver Dragon On The Hunt<span>

On the train ride to Ponoma City, Heartnet's last known location, I twist a ring on my right hand ring finger. The ring is a beautiful diamond rose on a simple silver band. Sephiria gave it to me on my sixteenth birthday, which fell not long after became a Number.

As I nervously twist it, doubts creep into my mind. How can I succeed where countless others, including Sephiria herself, have failed? And the Elders can praise me all they like, but every now and again, I hear whispers.

_"Heartnet would have finished that mission by now."_

_"Black Cat wouldn't have been that messy."_

_"She's just like XIII used to be. Cold and calculating, a stone-hearted killer."_

I hate those whispers. Always comparing me to _him. _Chronos' golden boy. And the way they all acted...

They don't want Heartnet dead, they want him back. They want him to be their lap dog again, always mindlessly obeying orders... No! Don't think like that, Mina! It's thoughts like these that plant the seeds of betrayal...**(A/N: Need to write that down somewhere!)**

Just forget who Heartnet used to be. He's your target now, and that's all.

So just find Heartnet, make a decision, and return to Chronos, it's just that simple...

...Right?

**-SilverDragon-**

As I leave the Ponoma City Station, I'm careful to keep a wary eye out for Sweepers. I continue roaming the streets until I'm stopped by a flower vendor calling to me. He's a kindly old man who smiles as I turn to him. He pulls an absolutely gorgeous red rose from a bouquet and hands it to me.

"A beautiful flower for a beautiful young lady," he says, and I smile shyly at him.

"Thank you!" I say, blowing him a kiss and continuing on.

_C'mon, Mina, don't get sidetracked now!_

**-SilverDragon-**

Right now I'm sitting in my hotel room, staring at the rose from earlier. It's in a cup of water, since it was too pretty to let die so easily.

The hotel I picked isn't exactly stellar, but it was cheap. It's just three areas, a bedroom with a bed definitely too small for my tall frame, a tiny living room with a huge couch and TV entirely too big for the space, and a bathroom barely worth mentioning. Let's just say it matches the rest of the room in the fact that it's tiny.

_What should my first move be? _I wonder as I continue to stare at the rose. It's just so pretty! Maybe I'll plant roses when I get back home...

Home! That's it!

**-SilverDragon-**

I pull up the hood of my coat, and its peak hides my face nicely. After asking a few random people, I locate the local Sweeper hangout.

'Caffe Cait Sith,' the sign on the worn and weather-beaten building reads. I step inside and head for the Wanted board, acting as casually as if this were my apartment back home.

Keeping my head down, I take note of the only two people in here. The first is a blonde woman wearing an apron, and a cigarette hangs from her mouth. She's behind the bar, so I figure she must own the place.

The second person is a guy with an eyepatch over his right eye, wearing a white suit with a matching hat perched atop his peculiar green hair.

I nod to myself as I search the Wanted board, looking for one face in particular. C'mon, where's that poster...?

Aha! There I am. The picture of me is around five years old, so I look younger, but if anyone could see my face, they'd know it was me.

_'Wanted: Mina Sinkya. Accused of grand theft auto and five murders. Considered to be armed and extremely dangerous. Reward: $900,000.'_

Damn! I let out a low whistle. Will Heartnet really go for that?

"My partner and I'll take her," says a gravelly voice from behind me. A hand reaches out and snatches my poster. Out of the corner of my eye, I see the man now dubbed Eyepatch Guy.

"Unless you were planning to?" he adds, arching an eyebrow. I shake my head.

"Nah, you take her. She looks pretty tough, and you seem to know what you're doing," I say, waving him away.

_I know this guy... He has something to do with Heartnet, but what?_

I turn back to the board, my eyes quickly searching for a small fry. I grab a poster emblazoned with the name 'Erva Lang,' then turn and head for the door.

Just before I reach it, though, it opens. I'm in such a hurry to get out, I don't even have time to stop, so I collide face to chest with the guy coming in. Jeez, and I thought I was tall!

"Sorry!" I apologize.

"Don't worry about it," the guy says, brushing past me.

I continue outside, shoving the Wanted poster into my pocket. Yeah, like I'd ever become a Sweeper.

As the door swings shut, the guy says, "Hey, Sven! Anybody good?"

I freeze in my tracks, my eyes widening. According to Heartnet's file, his Sweeping partner is Sven Vollfied. My eyes now narrowing, I walk past the window of the hideout, casually peeking in. Yeah, that's Heartnet. Same messy black hair, golden eyes, and Hades, strapped to his leg. Just like his picture.

So, with that first crucial step of my mission done, I look for a restaurant, since my stomach's growling. I smirk to myself and continue down the street. Finally, the Silver Dragon has located her target.

**-SilverDragon-**

I head back to my hotel, my stomach finally full, and a scowl on my face. Since I know that Heartnet is actually here, I'd asked some people all the right questions. To my chagrin, I'd found out that Heartnet is staying in the same hotel as me.

I growl in annoyance. I must be losing my touch! To not even know we're staying in the same place...

_"Urgh!"_

As I walk into the hotel's lobby, I lower my hood and put on a flirtatious smile.

"Hi," I say to the receptionist, who is luckily enough, a guy. His eyes dart up from his computer, then widen slightly.

"Hi," he replies. "Can I help you?"

I nod. "As a matter of fact, you're the only one who can help me," I say, tracing little circles on the desk with my index finger. I shyly look up at him. "Could you please tell me where Train Heartnet is staying?"

The guy's eyes follow my finger as he says, "Um, uh wh-who are you?"

I give a small sigh and reply, "Well, I'm his girlfriend. You see, tonight's our anniversary, so I wanted to surprise him." I put on my best innocent expression. "You can understand that, right?"

The guy practically trips over himself as he pulls a key from the board behind him. "Of course I can, miss. Here's his spare key." _Oh, hell yes!_

I wink at him as I take the key. "Thank you so much! Train's going to be so surprised!" I say. Damn right, he'll be surprised!

Shit, I really am losing my touch! His room number is 130. Mine? 131.

Oy.

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><p>Coming up next: <span>Chapter 3: The Silver Dragon's Battles<span>

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><p>So there it is! You guys know the deal! Read and tell me what you think!<p>

Until next time, wonderful readers!


	3. The Silver Dragon's Battles

**I love you guys. Really, I do. That's why I'm so, so sorry for not updating this sooner! I've just been concentrating on 'Satan's Stepdaughter', so...yeah. Oh, I will be updating this story every other week, and 'Satan's Stepdaughter' on the other weeks, so it'll go something like:**

**October 1-7: Silver Dragon**

**October 8-14: Satan's Stepdaughter**

**October 15-21: Silver Dragon**

**...and so on. I think you get the gist of it.**

**But anyway, here's chapter 3!**

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><p><span>Chapter 3: The Silver Dragon's Battles<span>

_(Part 1: Physical/External)_

I finally arrive at Heartnet's door, grumbling to myself the whole way. Holding my breath, I slip the key into the lock and carefully turn it, then as quietly and stealthily as I can, I guide the door open. I look around as I close the door behind me. It's completely dark in here; no lights on. That's a good sign.

Suddenly, I freeze as the hair on the nape of my neck stands on end, my sixth sense, if you will. _I am not alone in this room._

I hear the unmistakable sound of a gun cocking, and Ares is in my hand and ready to go before I can blink. A lamp flickers to life, and I immediately bring Ares up in a defensive position. A figure, now illuminated by the light, sits on the couch: a young blonde girl, around fifteen or sixteen. Her violet eyes are cold as she levels a gun at me. Not just any gun, either.

Heartnet's orichalcum pistol, Hades.

_'But that's impossible! He had it with him!'_

"Who are you?" the girl asks, her voice as cold as her eyes. I remain silent.

"You have three seconds to come up with an answer before I shoot," she adds, and I arch an eyebrow.

"Room service," I reply drily, and the girl snorts.

"Yeah, right."

She pulls the trigger, and as if time has slowed down, I see the bullet coming at me. Her aim is perfect, it would hit me straight between the eyes. Instant kill shot.

But with instincts born of years of training, I deflect the shot.

The girl's eyes widen a fraction. Now Hades disappears, only to be replaced by a sword. The girl leaps at me, and taking a chance, I shout, "I'm Train's friend!"

Her attack would've come down on top of my head, but her blade meets mine instead. She backs off and raises her eyebrows at me, and suddenly, I realize exactly who this girl is.

Eve, the bioweapon.

"I'm supposed to believe that pathetic excuse?" she asks, sounding bored. "I know Train's friends, and you're not one of them." I raise my eyebrows right back at her.

"Really? Do you know all of his old comrades from Chronos?" I ask, showing her my tattoo. "I haven't seen him in over three years, and I was hoping we could catch up." My lie comes easily, but Eve just looks at me disbelievingly.

"Which is why you were sneaking in here like the assassin you are, right?"

I sigh and put Ares away. "Look, my name's Mina. I just wanted to visit Train."

"I still don't believe you," Eve says cautiously, but she lowers her sword, and she runs a hand through her short blonde hair.

I immediately take the opportunity now presented to me. Quicker than an untrained eye can follow, I pull a syringe from my coat, leap at Eve, and drive the needle into her neck. In the syringe is a strong sedative, and there's enough of it to knock out an elephant. I send the plunger home, and Eve's eyes flutter shut.

I feel slightly guilty, but I need to complete this mission, no matter the cost.

I dash into my room, grab some duct tape, then come back and bind Eve. I leave a note, warning Heartnet that I now have his friend. I heft Eve over my shoulder, then head out the window into a forest thick with trees. Then I wait.

_**-SilverDragon-**_

I perch up in a tree, waiting patiently like a dragon for her prey. Eve is propped up on the branch adjacent to mine, and now she groans. I see her eyes open groggily, as I take another syringe and stick it on her leg. The nanomachines in her body must be fighting off the sedative, as this is the third time she's woken up.

I check my watch. It's been over an hour since I left the hotel. My target better hurry up, since I don't have much sedative left.

"Jeez," I mutter. Heartnet must surely have found that note by now...

"Where's Eve?" a man's voice calls out. Aha.

I extend Ares and leap from my perch, my boots barely making a sound as I land. Heartnet's standing about fifteen feet away. Hades is clutched tightly in his hand, and now he aims it at me.

"Oh, Eve's fine," I say in a lilting tone.

"I didn't ask _how _she was, I asked _where _she was," he growls. I arch an eyebrow and shrug off my coat. Heartnet's eyes widen when he sees my tattoo, then they narrow.

"You're from Chronos," he says darkly. I dip my chin in acknowledgement.

"Mina Sinkya. Now, enough with the pleasantries!" I say, dashing at him. He fires off a shot, but I easily knock it aside.

Heartnet huffs in annoyance, electricity sparking in his eyes and along his gun. He pulls the trigger, and I can immediately see that this shot is different. It's _fast__, _almost too fast for me to track. I manage to block this shot as well, but when the bullet meets my blade, the impact alone nearly wrenches my shoulder out of its socket.

"Dammit!" I hiss as the immediate shock gives way to a sharp, stabbing pain in my shoulder. But no matter, now Heartnet's in trouble. I've thrown a kick, knocking Hades out of his hand, and now Ares is pointed at his throat. He moves, he's dead.

Situation demands I kill him, but something in his eyes stops me. Or rather, what's not there. There's no fear in his amber eyes. This is a man who's not afraid to die. I hesitate, a rookie mistake. Now I'm torn between letting him go, or killing him where he stands.

I hate this! Showing weakness in front of a target...

I see my father's face in my mind's eye, and the tip of Ares trembles. Just like the rest of my body.

Suddenly, my phone rings. Giving Heartnet a dark glare, I answer it, keeping Ares at his throat.

"Sinkya," I say shortly.

"Agent III, have you located your target?" Dammit, it's Belze. Making a split-second decision, I say, "No. I'm close, though. Another twenty-four hours should suffice."

For some reason, the formality in Belze's tone annoys me.

"Very well. If you haven't found Heartnet within that time frame, return to Chromos HQ immediately," he replies.

"Understood," I say in return, hanging up.

Clenching my jaw, I lower Ares and say to Heartnet, "Go."

I retract Ares and stow it in my vest. "Take Eve," I continue, not meeting his eyes. "She's up there." I point at the tree I had been waiting in. Then I turn my back and start walking away.

"Wait!" Heartnet says, and I look at him over my shoulder. "Why didn't you kill me? Or Eve, for that matter?" he asks, and I shrug.

"It was too easy," I say, the lie not coming as easily as I would like.

Heartnet suddenly smiles, as if he's thought of something he finds amusing. "Come with us. Leave Chronos," he suggests, and for a moment, the offer is tempting. I consider it, remembering my thoughts on 'mindlessly following orders'.

I give Heartnet a small smile in return.

"I'll think about it," I promise, then I walk away.

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><p><em>Coming up: <em>Chapter 3: The Silver Dragon's Battles - _(Part 2: Internal/Mental)_

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><p><strong>And there's Chapter 3, Part 1! Part 2 will be up in the week of October 15-21! And that's a promise!<strong>

**So, until next time,**

**Cat.**


	4. The Silver Dragon's Battles, Pt 2

**Hi! I'm back! And (hopefully) early! I'm sick, so that means I have tons of time on my hands, hooray for you guys, huh? Anyway, I'm babbling on, so let's get on with it! And sorry if Train seems OOC. I haven't read the manga in a while.**

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><p><span>Chapter 3: The Silver Dragon's Battles<span>

_(Part 2: Internal/Mental)_

I flop facedown on the couch, groaning. Why couldn't I kill Heartnet? He was right there, at my mercy! And why did his offer seem so tempting? My home, my loyalty, lies with Chronos! I could be killed for even _thinking_ of such things!

My mind in turmoil, I fall asleep right there on the couch.

**_-SilverDragon-_**

When I wake up later, I see that night has fallen. The moon is high in the sky. I sit up, wincing as I feel how tense my muscles are.

_'That damn couch!'_

Deciding that a shower would me good, I pull off my boots and vest, then head for the bathroom. I flip the light switch, then nearly shriek as I see my reflection. It's grinning evilly at me, and instantly terrified, I take a step back, and run into the wall.

_"So, you couldn't kill Heartnet, and you lied to Belze. Doesn't seem like a very successful mission so far. Tsk, tsk," _it says, shaking its head. _"You're not forgetting about our curse, are you?"_

Suddenly, rage flares up within me. "He's a target, nothing else! I am not going to fall in love with him!" I snarl.

_"I never said you were. I was just reminding you, is all," _my reflection replies. _"After all, we wouldn't want anyone _else_ to end up like dear old Dad, would we?"_

"You leave him out of this!" I say to no avail as my reflection morphs into a bloody scene, my father lying dead on the ground. Then my reflection's back, still grinning.

"You're a demon!" I shriek. "Nothing but a demon that exists in my head to torment me! Leave me alone!"

My reflection rolls her eyes. "Don't think I will," she says.

My hands curl into fists, and I punch the mirror, shattering my grinning face. "Leave me alone!"

The pieces fall to the ground, but I can still see my face.

"Go back to hell, where you belong, you demon!" I yell, kneeling down and smashing the pieces until they're a fine, gritty dust. I stand, stagger backwards, hit the wall, and black out.

_**-SilverDragon-**_

I wake up on the couch, and judging by the light on the walls, dawn is just breaking.

_Was it all just a dream?_

I sit up, wincing. Then I look down at my hands, which are cut and bloody. My feet are, too, and they're covered in an almost glittery dust.

I stumble to the bathroom, and there's nothing. No mirror, no dust, nothing to confirm what happened. What the hell?

I try to step out of the bathroom, but fits like that always leave me weak, and I keel over forwards. I squeeze my eyes shut and throw my hands out, preparing for an involuntary faceplant on the stained carpet.

A faceplant that never happens.

Strong arms catch me and lift me back up to a standing position. I look up, and Train Heartnet is standing there, looking at me worriedly. I groan.

"What the hell are you doing in my hotel room?" I ask tiredly.

He arches an eyebrow at me and says, "I was sitting next door, watching TV, when I heard someone screaming about a demon. I kind of busted your door down and found you passed out on the floor, surrounded by glass."

I reach up to rub my eyes, but he grabs my wrists and stops me.

"What... the... hell?" I ask, slowly and deliberately.

Heartnet looks at me intently. "If you want to cut your eyes, go for it," he says, releasing me.

I look down at my hands. Damn, he's right! The glass dust would have scratched my eyes. I could've gone blind. I turn away from him and collapse on the couch, groaning.

"Oh, God, I'm such a mess," I say, exhausted. Heartnet walks out of the room, and I fold my arms on my knees and drop my face onto them.

"Oh, my God," I groan. "I thought I was done with this shit."

"What shit?" Heartnet asks, coming back into the room, a first aid kid in his hands.

I look up at him and say lamely, "Nothing. Just... personal stuff."

He doesn't look convinced. He sits down on the couch next to me and takes hold of one of my wrists.

"Hey, I can take care of myself!" I protest, but he ignores me and tends to my bloody hand.

"So, have you made up your mind yet?" he asks, not looking at me. I look away, wishing I could distance myself even further.

"Look, Heartnet-" "Train," he interrupts, and I'm startled into looking at him.

"My name is Train," he states. I shake my head.

"Yeah, Train, whatever. I've thought about it, and to be completely honest, I don't know," I say.

"Seems to me like you'll need one hell of a talk, huh?" Heartnet- I mean, Train -says, and I give him a tired smile.

"Yeah, seems like."

"Well then, I'll just have to give it a shot. Look, you said your name was Mina, right?" he asks, and I nod.

"Okay, Mina. Think of it this way. You've killed a lot of people, right? Well, one day soon, they're going to start haunting you."

I look away uncomfortably.

"Unless they already have. And yeah, Chronos is probably all you've known," he says, finishing up with my left hand and moving on to my right. I'm actually glad, because it gives me something to focus on.

I shake my head. "I had a family, once," I say softly. "I left them when I was ten. So I've been with Chronos for twelve years."

Train nods. "So... How about this? Would you be willing to tag along with me and my partners for a week?" he asks, and I consider it for a moment. He drops my hand, finished, and gives me a huge grin.

"Yeah," I say. "Yeah, I'll come along." I get up off the couch and head for the bathroom, wincing with each step. "You're welcome to stay here, but I need a shower, and then I need to call Sephiria to get an extension," I tell Train.

"Okay, then!" He grins at me again. "You got any milk around here?"

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><p><strong>Yes! It's finished early! Anyways, here it is! Part 2, as promised! You guys know the deal, read, review, and be honest!<strong>

**Until next time, **

**Cat.**


	5. Can't Believe It's Come To This

**Oh, God! I'm so sorry! I did it again! I broke my promise to you guys! Of course, now I have a valid excuse... I've sort of lost the inspiration for this story... I'm really more focused on Satan's Stepdaughter right now. So, I am sad to say that this story is going on an indefinite hiatus. I will be sure to let you guys know when I'll be updating again, and again, I apologize.**

**Cat**


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